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2 Sheets Sheet '1.

(No ModeL) M.- BENEDICT.

SEAT.

No. 337,364. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

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(No Mndel.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

M. BENEDICT.

SEAT.

No. 337,364. PatentedMar; 9, 1886.

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By M Ailorney I UNITED STATES PATENT ()rmcn.

MARSENA BENEDICT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 337,364, dated March 9,1886. Application filed June 21, 1885. Serial No. 110,051. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, MARsENA BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My present invention relates to certain improvements on that for whichLetters Patent No. 291,487 were granted to me under date of January 8,1884 and it consists in a novel construction of the frame and webbingor'cloth which forms the seat, and a novel means for attaching them toeach other for tightening the cloth or webbing when necessary, and forattaching the apparatus to seat-frames of different descriptions, ashereinafter more particularly described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the construction,operatiomandapplication of my invention. 3

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame and the cloth or webbingwhich forms the seat proper, and which may be applied to the seatframeof a wagon, chair, piano-stool, or other suitable article. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the cloth or webbing when ready to be attached to theframe. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the frame without the cloth orwebbing,showing the manner ofattaching it to the seatframe of a chair orwagon. Fig. 4 is a top view of the same with the cloth or webbing inplace and the seat in position flat down on the seat-frame. Fig. 5 is anedge View of Fig.3, with the frame resting flat down on the seat-frame.Fig. 61s a longitudinal vertical section taken in the line at :0 of Fig.4. Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken in the line 3 y of Fig. 4.

The frame of theseat-proper is composed of two side bars, a rear bar,two strap-pieces,and a front rod. The side bars, A A, are made of metal,each bar having on its outer side a groove, a, running its entirelength, and provided with a slot, 1), somewhat shorter than the groove.Near the rear endof each bar,on the inner side, is a lug, c, and on theextreme end of the bar is a semi-cylindrical notch, d. The rear bar, B,is made of wood, and theside bars are attached thereto by screws passedthrough the lugs c. The frontends of the bars 'A are attached by hingedjoints to strap-pieces D, which are provided with eyes e, through Iwhich pass the round ends of the front rod, E. On this rod E area numberof cylindrical enlargements,from which extend teeth f, which serve thesame purpose as buckles, which are used in connection with straps. Therod E may be placed under the seat-frame, if found necessary. The sidebars, A A, being longer from the hinge than the strap-pieces D D, the

sidebars,A A.become,asit were,long arms of a lever, the strip pieces DDbecome short arms of a lever, and the pivots of the hinge forming thefulcrum. Thelarger portion of the frame being thrown upward, as shown inFig. 3,the

power is applied at the point B, while the weight or resistance isdistributed over the surfaceof the webin the form of tension, therebyalfording the required leverage to keep the web properly stretched.

. .The cloth or webbing G, to form the seat, is first cut in somewhatthe form of a cross. The two side arms of this cross are turned in wardand securely stitched, so as to form side pockets, 9 g, and the top armor rear end is turned inward about one-fourth of its length and stitchedso as to form an end pocket, h, (all of said pockets being larger thanthe rods.)

The cloth or webbing thus arranged is attached to the frame, as follows:The sidepockets are passed through the slots 1), and rods 42 are-passedthrough them, said rods being larger than the width of the slots, andlying in the grooves a,'so as not to extend beyond the outer surface ofthe side bars. .EBy thus attaching the side-, edges ofthe cloth'or weband engaged by the buckles f, and the seat is complete.

The seat thus formed may be attached to a seat-frame of any suitabledescription by means of screws or bolts passed through the strappiecesD. In Figs. 3, 5, and 6 it is shown as attached to a square frame, suchas might be used for a chair or a wagonseat.

IOO

In my former patent it is necessary to have hooks or other means to holdthe rear portion of the hinged seat in place when down. In the presentinvention when the seat is down flat, so that the side bars rest on therear portions of the strap-pieces, the hinge-pivots are higher than thepoints of attachment of the front and rear lower edges, so that thestrain is from two points below the level of said pivots and the seat isautomatically held down in place thereby. When the web or cloth be comesloose from wear and use, the rear portion of the frame is raised to theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the cloth is stretched to the properdistance and re'engaged by the buckles, and the frame lowered again tothe proper position. The bottom of the rear rod is on the same levelwith the web on the front, and the top of the rear. rod occupies ahigher position than the level of the front, so that the portion of theweb which reaches from the top of the rear rod forward to the seam atthe foot of the inclined plane formed by the pocket becomes acant-lever.

In sitting, the point of the hips (or more correctly speaking the pointof the ischium) is farther forward and on a lower level than the base ofthe spine, so that a flat cnshionor a stuffed one that is highest in themiddle affords no support for that portion of the trunk lying betweenthese two points. This portion of the trunk includes the spinal column,which, not being supported by such cushions, the normal relativeposition of the vertebra is maintained by muscular effort, occasioningmuscular weariness and nervous exhaustion.

By this construction of my invention theinclined plane formed by theupper surface of the pocket, extending from the rearrod to the line ofstitching Q, constitutes a comfortable support for the portion of thebody containing the base ofthe spinal column, and this incline of theplane being pliable it also adapts and adjusts itself to the particularform and size of each separate individual.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a seat, the combination of side bars provided with longitudinalslots and grooves, a rear bar attached to said side bars, and aseat-frame supporting the side bars by means of hinge-joints,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a seat, the combination of side bars provided-with longitudinalslots and grooves,

Y a rear bar attached to said side bars, a seat 3. In a seat, thecombination of side bars provided with longitudinal slots and grooves, arear bar attached to said side bars, and a .front rod or bar providedwith buckles and joints, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

4. A cloth or webbing provided with side pockets and a rear end pocket,in combination with a frame constructed as described, with longitudinalslots and grooves and with side rods, 2', rear end rod', J, front rod,E, and buckles f, carried by the front rod, substantially as and for thepurpose herein described.-

5. A seat consisting of a hinged frame and a cloth or webbing carriedthereby, said hinged frame having its front and rear edges below thelevel of the hinge-pivots when the cloth or webbing is in place'and theseat in position, whereby the parts are automatically held in place bythe strain or line of draft being below the level of the hinge-pivots,substantially as herein described.

6. A seat consisting of a hinged frame and a cloth or webbing carriedthereby. said cloth or webbing having a rear pocket forming an inclinedplane for the support of the base of the spinal column, substantially asherein described.

7. A seat embodying in its structure a hinged frame, a cloth or webbinghaving a pocket formed in its rear edge, and a rod passing through thepocket for securing the cloth or webbing to the frame at that point, thewhole being so arranged that the portion of the cloth or webbing whichextends from said rod to the base of the pocket is an inclined plane,there by operating'to support the center of the span of the webbing andpreventing the latter from sagging, substantially as shown anddescribed.

8. In a seat, a frame divided into two parts, one longer than the.other, hinged together at such point that the distance from the point ofdivision of the frame to the attachment of one edge of the web isgreater than the distance from the point of division to the attachmentof the opposite edge, for-the purpose of providing leverage forstrainingthe cloth, substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARSENA nnii'niiior.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS O. Bownn, J AMES S. EWBANK.

